Electrical apparatus



D. CONLAN, 1R.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATiON HLED JAN. 5, 1920.

Patented Dec 28 192A 2 SHEETSSHEEI I.

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- ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, I920.

1 363 394 Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEEI 2- INVENTOR ATTORNEY .0 Fig. 3.

DAVID GONLAN, JR., BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 28, 1920 'Application filed January 5, 1920. Serial No. 349,611.

To all whom a may concern.

Be it known that I, DAVID CoNLAN, J12, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Brooklyn, Kings county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates particularly to apparatus for the distribution of electric current.

The objects of the invention are to improve and to add to the utility and avail ability of such apparatus particularly as regards the supplying of current to translatin devices of the portable type, such as electric heaters, flat irons, vacuum cleaners and the like.

'To these ends my inventionresides in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be set forth in the following specification which is to be read in conjunction with the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof and in which I have illustrated the invention embodied in two of its different forms.

In the drawings referred to, Figure 1 is a broken and more or less diagrammatic view illustrating an application of the invention to a switch of the pendant or overhead type and showing ause of the invention for independently carrying current to a portable lamp and to an electric flat iron.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, 'of the pendant switch and the attachment plug for taking off current therefrom, this view of the switch being taken looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 switch and plug in engaged relation, said view being taken on substantially the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4. is a top plan view of the switch mechanism as removed from the shell or.

switch casing. I

Fig. 5 1s a cross sectional vlew taken on substantially the plane of line 55 of Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view as taken on substantially the plane of line 6-6 ,of

Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a view of the switch showing 6 both. the plugs illustrated in Fig. 1 as enis a vertical sectional view of the gaged therewith and illustrating the first or upper plug as section.

Fig. 8 1s a top plan view of the first or upper plug.

Fig. 9 is a partly sectional view of a modified construction.

Flg. 10 is a top plan view of this form of the swltch as removed from its casing. One of the special features of my invention is the utilization of pendant switches such as are now used to a large extent for controlling overhead or distant lighting circults, as outlets for supplying current to portable devices which it may be desired to use 1n the vicinity of the overhead circuits. have accordingly shown such an adaptation of my invention in Fig. 1, where designates an overhead lighting fixture of more or less common construction supplied wlth current from'the feed wires 16, 17 and controlled by a pendant switch 18. This pendant switch is indicated as of the pushbutton type and is shown as connected in;

the lamp circuit by meansof the cord havlng incorporated therein a wire 19 connected w th the fixture and a wire 20 connected with one of the feed wires. The other side of the fixture is connected by a conductor 21 with the other feed wire and the two cord wires 19 and 20 are connected with binding posts 22, 23 on the switch and in electrical connection with the switch contacts 24, 25. The switch contacts are, in the illustration, arranged to be bridged by an oscillating or movable contact piece 26 which is under control of the push-button 27 from all ofwhich it will be apparent that the pendant switch may be operated to cut the overhead fixture into or out of circuit at will.

In addition to the two wires described, the cord of the pendant switch, in my invention, carries a third wire 28 which is directly connected with the other side of the line and is entirely independent of the overhead circuit described. This gives two wires, designated 20 and 28 in the illustration, which lead direct from the feed wires to the pendant switch structure. This third wire isconnected with the third binding post 29 which is independent of and has no connection with thecircuit controlling switch contacts.

V In the first form 'of the invention illus-. 'trated, all three of these binding posts are 35 cally connected with the first switch con permanently mounted on top of the insulating switch base 30, which base is shown in Fig. 3 as chambered or recessed in its lower end as at 31 to receive and form a housing for the switch contacts.

The switch is-vprovided, in addition to the circuit controlling contacts described, with a pair of outlet contacts or current extension posts 32 and 33 which aremounted on trically heated flat iron 38.

The current extension posts 32 and '33 are shown as made of spring metal and shaped in the form of spring clips so as to be frictionally engaged by the attachment plug blades. I One of these posts is shown as electrically connected with the line binding post 22 of'the switch, by being engaged beneath the foot portion of the live switch contact 24. The other current extension post 33 is shown as connected with the third or extra binding post 29 byhaving its base portionf'j39 held .by the rivet 40 which is used to secure the binding post 29 on the base.' The first terminal post 32 is electritact 24 and so no insulation is required be I 'tween these parts. The second terminal post 33 is, howeveryelectrically' independent of and disconnected from the other switch contact 25 and for this reason I have shown the leg portion 41 of such post as extended up on the outside of the insulating switch base and thence extended in through an i as opening 42 in the side of said base into the chamber therein at a the switch contact 25.

The two current extension contacts or terminal posts are preferably housed within a supplementary base portion 43 which may be made as a separate block of insulating material applied to the lower end of the main switch base and resting on an inturned shoulder 44 provided at the lower end of the, switch housing or shell 45, said baseportion baitse so as'not to interfere with the second .p ug. 4

43 having suitable sockets 46 to receive the extension posts and the attachment plug blades which engage therewith. V

From the dis 'losure thus far it-will be seen that the overhead circuit may be controlled in the usual way by means of the pendant switch andthat in addition, current may be taken off 'at this point at any time for supplying various forms of translating devices,

such as-flat irons, vacuum cleaners and the point removed from like and these entirely independently of the condition of the pendant switch. This means that a vacuum cleaner, for instance, may be connected in circuit by simply plugging into the pendant switch and be operated irrespective of whether the overhead circuit controlled by the switch is either off or on. This is an important consideration where, for instance, the translating device may draw more current than it would be proper to use in ,conjunction with the overhead fixture, in which event the switch could be operated to cut out the overhead fixture while using the extension cord circuit. Another of-the many conditions where such a combination is of particular value is the case where the overhead fixture is in the form of a light which may or may not be desirable to use in conjunction with the device of the extension cord circuit.

In many instances it is desirable to couple a plurality of translating devices in circuit. I have illustrated such a condition in Fig. 1, wherein a small portable light is illustrated at 50 for illuminating at close quarters the work being operated on by the electric iron. This portable lamp is supplied through a cord 51 connected with an attachment plug 52 which is of special novel construction,

being provided both with projecting terminal blades 53, 54 for engagement with the extension posts 32, 33 of the pendant switch and with downwardly projected extension posts 55, 56 electrically connected with the terminal blades and seated in sockets 57, 58

.in the base-cf plug 52 inposition to be engaged by the projecting blades 34, 35 of the other attachment plug 36.

There are thus provided two attachment .plugs which are interchangeably engageable' with the pendant switch and which may both be used with the switch, as indicated in Fig. 1. .This permits, in the illustration, the use of both the portable lamp and the flat iron, or the operation of either one of these singly and also the use of either or both of these devices, with or without using the overhead fixture. The invention thus provides for a great many possibilities and enables the use of various portable devices to meet various difi'erent requirements. 1

In the compound attachment plug, 52, the cord wires 51 are preferably brought to the binding posts of the plug through an opening58 provided in the side of the plug In order that my invention may be adapted to and employed in conjunction with commercial switches now on the market, I.

. ferred to. In applying my invention thereto, I provide one terminal post 32 which is extended up outside the base of the switch, as shown at 61 and is formed at the top with a foot portion 62 which is caught beneath I the screw of the binding post 22*. The other terminal post 33 is also extended up outside the switch base, as shown at 63 and is turned over the top of the base and there provided 10 with a binding post 29 which forms the necessary third terminal. As a part of the attachment, I provide the sub-base 43 resting on the inturned flange 44 of the shell 45 and formed with the sockets 46* designed to house the contact portions of the extension posts and to receive the blades of the attachment plug. The extension-posts and subbase are held in assembled relation by the engagement of said posts in the lateral passages 64 which construction may also be employed for the same purpose in the first form of the device disclosed.

It will be seen that the invention may either be constructed as an entirely new unit or that it may be combined with ordinary commercial switches. It will be apparent also to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departure from the-true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The portable devices which are supplied by the attachment plugs may have individual control switches, as more or less customary in such devices and they maybe controlled either by such individual switches or simply by the connection and disconnection of the attachment plugs.

What I claim is: 1. In electrical apparatus, a pendant switch having means for connecting the same with a feeder circuit and an overhead or remote circuit and switch mechanism for controlling a translating device in the overhead or remote circuit, said pendant switch being provided with insulating sockets in the bottom thereof, terminal posts in said sockets for engagement by the terminal blades of an attachment plug, and means for connecting said terminal posts with the 50 feeder circuit independent of the switch 'controlled circuit to thereby provide an ex.- tension outlet from the feeder circuit uncontrolled by the switch mechanism.

2. In electrical apparatus, a pendant switch having means for connecting the same with a feeder circuit andnan overhead or remote circuit and switch mechanism for controlling a translating device in the. overhead or remote circuit, said pendant switch j being provided with insulating sockets in the bottom thereof, terminal posts in said sockets for engagement by the terminal blades of an attachment plug, and means for connecting said terminal posts with the feeder circuit independent of the switch controlled circuit to thereby provide an extension outlet from the feeder circuit uncontrolled by the switch mechanism, an attachment plug having a pair of, projecting terminal blades on the top thereof to engage the terminal posts in the insulating seats in the bottom of the pendant switch, said attachment plug further having a pair of insulating sockets open to the bottom thereof and terminal posts housed therein andconnected with the terminal blades at the top ofthe attachment plug, and binding posts on said attachment plug electrically connected with the terminal blades, for the connection of an extension circuit.

3. In electrical apparatus, a pendant switch having: means fogr connecting the same with a feeder circuit and an overhead or .remote circuit and switch mechanism for control ing a translating device in the 35 overhead or remote circuit, said pendant switch being provided with insulating sockets in the bottom thereof, terminal posts in said sockets for engagement by the terminal blades of an attachment plug, and means for connecting said terminal posts with the feeder circuit independent of the switch controlled circuit to thereby provide an extension outlet from the feeder circ'uit; uncontrolled by the switch mechanismyt he 5 means for connecting the pendant switch with the feeder and overhead circuits lIlCllld-r ing a pair of binding posts on the switch electrically connected with the switch mechanism and the means for directly connecting the extension terminals with the feeder circuit including a third binding post on the switch electrically and independently connected with one of the terminal posts.

4:. In electrical apparatusof the character described, an attachment plug for one or more extension circuits comprising an insulating base, a pair of terminal blades projecting from one end of said base and provided with binding posts for the connection of an extension circuit thereto, said insulating base having insulating sockets in the 0pposite end thereof and a cord outlet in the side thereof leading to the binding posts and terminal posts housed in the insulating sockets and electrically connected with the projecting terminal blades at the other end of the plug to thereby enable engagement of the projecting blades of a second attachment plug therewith.

5. In electrical apparatus of the character described, an attachment plug for one or more extension circuits comprising an insulating base having openings extending therethrough from end to end, a pair of projecting terminal blades at one end of said base, terminal posts extending from the base of said blades into the openings aforesaid to be contacted by projecting terminal blades of a second attachment plug inserted into said openings from the opposite end of the base and binding posts for an extenslon circuit at the foot of the projecting blades described, an attachment plug for one or more extension circuits comprising an insulatlng base, a pair of terminal blades proectlng from one end of said base and pro vided with binding posts for the connection of an extension circuit thereto, said insulating base having insulating sockets in the opposite end thereof and a cord outlet in the side thereof leading to the binding posts and terminal posts housed in the insulating sockets and electrically connected with the projecting terminal blades at the other end of the plug to thereby enable engagement of the projecting blades of a second attachment plug therewith, said terminal posts being positioned on the base with the centers thereof disposed substantially at right angles to the centers of the terminal blades. 7. A pendant switchcomprising an insulating switch base having a switch chain-'- ber therein, switch contacts'mounted in said chamber, binding posts on the switch base and electrically connected with said switch switch base,

sion post extending outside the switch ch'amher down into another of the insulating sockets in the bottom of the base.

8. In apparatus of the character de-' scribed, a pendant switch comprising a switch base, thereby, a pair of binding posts on the switch base for said switch mechanism, exposed insulating sockets at the bottom of the circuit extension terminal means extending from one of the switch contacts down into one of the insulating sockets at the bottom of the switch base, a third binding post on the switch base electrically independent of the switch binding posts and other circuit extension terminal means extending from said third binding postdown to the other insulating socket at the bottom of the switch base.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 15th day of December, 1919.

DAVID CONLAN, JR.

switch mechanism carried; 

